Adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet and an assembly including the same

ABSTRACT

An adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet has a body and a post affixed to the body. The body has a first face and a second face extending in generally parallel relation. The body has an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of the portion of the second face. The body includes a threaded receptacle affixed or formed therein. The threaded receptacle opens at the first face and opens at an outer surface of the outwardly extending portion. The post is affixed to the first face of the body and is adapted to receive a snap post buckle of the chin strap thereon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/398,921, filed on Sep. 23, 2016, and entitled“Universal Chin Guard and Strap Assembly and Adapter for Use Therewith”.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not applicable.INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to chin guards for use with helmets. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to straps for securing chinguards. The present invention also relates to an adapter for usetherewith.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

Protective helmets to minimize head injuries have been known and usedfor many years. For example, football helmet shells have been producedfrom injection molded ABS, or polycarbonate plastic. Helmets intendedfor youth usage have usually been produced from ABS plastic, and helmetsfor adult usage have usually been produced from polycarbonate plastic.ABS plastic is significantly less expensive than polycarbonate, but ABSplastic is not as structurally rigid as polycarbonate. As the level ofintensity of contact in youth football is significantly lower than thatas the adult level, ABS has been accepted as a satisfactory material foruse at the youth level. For adult helmets, however, the structuralrigidity of the polycarbonate material is essential to minimize the flexand deformation of the shell under extreme impact conditions. TheNational Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment(NOCSAE) has been responsible for setting minimum performance criteriafor football helmets. Through the continuous testing of NOCSAE, it hasbeen established that the rigidity of polycarbonate shells, incomparison to ABS shells, leads to significantly lower IS results. Fromthese tests, it is believed that there is a correlation between therigidity of the shell material and improved safety performance.

Protection is also improved by the addition of a face mask attached tothe helmet. For example, football helmets are usually equipped over theexposed face area with a vinyl coated wire or other metal structure, oran injection molded plastic face mask. The obvious purpose of the facemask is to protect the face of the player from injury, while notobstructing the player's vision unnecessarily. The addition of a facemask can also increase the rigidity of the shell which improvesperformance. Face masks have been mounted to the exterior surface of thehelmet shell behind the front edge of the helmet face opening. Helmetshells are specifically designated with smooth spherical surfaces toallow the shells to glance and slide on impact.

Protective helmets usually include a chin strap to retain the helmet,particularly during impact. In the past, chin straps were frequentlyconstructed using a molded plastic cup made of compression orinjection-molded plastic material. A pad, usually of a felt or foammaterial, was bonded or otherwise attached to the plastic cup. This cupconstruction is preferable to non-padded chin straps which have beenstandard equipment on football helmets. Non-padded chin straps do notoffer any impact protection to the chin area and only serve to securethe helmet to the player's head. Padded chin cups provide an addedmeasure of protection to the chin from impacts, in addition to securingthe helmet to the player's head. Improvement in the impact absorptionperformance of padded chin straps is desirable. Most molded plastic chincups currently used are molded in a manner which allows the formed cupto flex to a degree upon impact. An improved construction is a rigidmaterial which does not flex on impact to an undesirable degree, thusdistributing the impact force over a larger area of the chin.

One of the problems with existing chin guard assemblies is therelationship between the strap and the chin guard. Certain chin guardshave adjustable straps whereby the position of the strap relative to thechin guard can be directly adjusted at the chin guard. Unfortunately,during the strong impacts of football play, the chin guard can slip andmove relative to the strap. As a result, the chin guard will be in anundesirable and unsafe location. As such, a need has developed so as toprovide a chin guard whereby the strap is positioned in a fixedrelationship relative to chin guard. The strap should be suitablyaffixed in a safe and convenient manner.

In the past, various patents have issued relating to adjustable chinguard assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,368, issued on Mar.3, 1987 to Infusino et al, shows an adjustable chin strap assembly thathas a flexible piece of material which forms a chin cup, a pair ofsupport straps slideably attached to the chin cup, two adjustment piecesthrough the support straps slideably intersect, and a set of fourslidable snaps which releasably fasten the support straps to an athletichelmet. The attitude of the flexible chin cup can be adjusted by slidingthe adjustment piece along the lengths of the support straps to eachside of the chin cup thereby allowing for maximum user comfort.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,274 issued on Aug. 18, 1998 to N. Kraemer, teaches achin protector for a helmet. This chin protector has an inner member andan outer member. A suspension arrangement is provided for at leastpartially suspending a portion of the outer member in spacedrelationship to a central portion of an inner member. This forms a gapbetween the inner and outer members.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,932 issued on Jul. 4, 2000 to N. Kraemer, describesa chin strap assembly for use with an athletic helmet. This chin strapassembly has a chin cup member having a flexible strap on each side ofthe chin cup member. A flexible strap passes through a plurality ofslots formed in the chin cup member. In particular, this strap isthreaded through the slots of the cup and is adjustably maintainedrelative to the cup.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,024, issued on Nov. 19, 2002 to S. P. Grant, shows aprotective chin strap device for securing a helmet to a wearer's head.The chin strap includes a hard outer shell, an inner member made of aself-supporting, cushioned material, and straps attached to the outershell for securing the chin strap to a helmet. The inner member issecured with respect to the outer shell so as to contact the outer shelladjacent to wearer's chin.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,160 issued on Jun. 15, 2010, to the presentinventor, provides a chin guard apparatus that has a shell with a cupsuitable for fitting upon a human chin, a resilient layer receivedwithin the cup of the shell and having a periphery overlying the outerperipheral edge of the shell, a first strap affixed to one side of theshell and extending outwardly therefrom, and a second strap affixed toan opposite side of the shell and extending outwardly therefrom. Abladder is affixed to a surface of the resilient layer opposite theshell.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,370, issued on Feb. 15, 2011 to M. M. Winningham,provides a protective chin pad assembly that has an outer shell of aplastic material and straps attached thereto. An inner cushion member isattached to the shell independently of the straps. The shell has anouter surface and an inner surface providing a pocket with a pair ofopenings formed in the shell between the inner and outer surfaces. Theinner cushion member is received in the pocket of the shell. Anattachment mechanism has a pair of elongate members extending from anouter surface of the cushion member. Each of the elongate members isreceived through a separate one of the openings in the shell and coupledoutwardly from the outer surface of the shell to releasably attach thecushion member to the shell independently of the straps.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,921,475, issued on Apr. 12, 2011 to Nascimento et al,discloses an impact-attenuating chin protector. The chin protector has ahard outer shell and a narrowed central area. An inner foam member isaffixed to the shell. The foam member includes a series of alternatingfoam columns and recesses with perforations at controlled locations. Theinner surface of the foam member is configured so that almost the entireinterior surface contacts the wearer's chin. The columns and recessesare configured so that the recesses are located around two pressurepoints on the chin.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,322, issued on Aug. 30, 2011 to the presentinventor, teaches a chin guard that has a shell with a cup suitable forfitting upon a human chin and a resilient layer received within the cupof the shell. The resilient layer has a periphery overlying the outerperipheral edge of the shell. The resilient layer has a support layer insurface-to-surface contact with the surface of the shell. A plurality ofpadded sections are integrally formed with the support layer.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D606,707, issued on Dec. 22, 2009 to the presentinventor, shows a chin guard design in which a foam resilient layer hasa plurality of bumps formed on the surface thereof.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a chin guard 10 generally as shown in severalprevious patents to the present inventor. The chin guard 10 includes acup 12 with a resilient layer 14 positioned therein. Top straps 16 and18 extend outwardly from the chin guard 10 and are affixed to,preferably, snap post hookups adjacent the temple on the helmet of thewearer. Bottom straps 20 and 22 extend outwardly from the chin guard 10and are affixed to attachments on the helmet adjacent the jaw or chin ofthe wearer. In chin guards produced by the present inventor, typicallythe straps 16 and 20 are a single strap which is threaded through thecup 12 of the chin guard 10. Similarly, straps 18 and 22 are a singlestrap. This arrangement prevents slippage of the straps and unnecessaryadjustments so as to secure the helmet and chin guard to the wearer'shead.

Chin guards produced by the present inventor are preferred by manyathletes. It is believed that the present inventor suppliesapproximately 25% of chin guards used by players in the NationalFootball League, for example.

Certain football helmets on the market today include a recess or openingformed on a surface thereof. This recess is intended to receive variousappliances therein. One type of appliance has been utilized in such arecess has been a ratchet mechanism. This item is referred to as a“ratchet hook-up” that can be used with chin straps so as to fix aposition of the chin strap relative to the helmet. The ratchet mechanismis removably received within this recess in the helmet in a lowerposition adjacent to the jaw of the wearer. Unfortunately, this ratchetmechanism and ratchet-type chin strap have proven to be problematicduring use. For example, the ratchet mechanism may attach the chin guardtoo tightly to the chin of the wearer. This can be uncomfortable anddistracting. In other circumstances, a tight chin strap can becomedislodged during play and can be lodged over the chin or neck of thewearer. It can become very difficult to move or detach the chin guardfrom the neck back on to the chin. In certain circumstances, the tightstrap could possible a choke the wearer. As such, need has developed soas to avoid the use of such a ratchet mechanism on football helmets.

In the past, one approach that has been taken is to replace this ratchetmechanism is to drill holes through the helmet to receive the malethreaded screw of a traditional snap post. This is a poor solutionbecause additional holes in a helmet can compromise the integrity of thestructure. Additionally, the removal of the ratchet mechanism creates anunsightly gap or irregularity on the surface of the helmet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatallows a chin guard to be affixed to a helmet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatcan be utilized in association with an existing opening or recess in ahelmet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatavoids drilling holes in the helmet.

It is further object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatsecurely mounts a snap post to the helmet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapterthat is easy and fast to install.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatis inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapterthat better retains the strap onto the helmet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter thatreduces the torque effects to the helmet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapterthat provides a large area of surface-to-surface contact with thesurface of the helmet.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anadapter that presents a smooth and aesthetically pleasing appearance onthe surface of the helmet.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a reading of the attached specification andappended claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an adapter for attaching a chin strap to ahelmet. The adapter comprises a body and a post affixed to the body. Thebody has a first face and a second face in generally parallel relation.The body has a forward edge and a rearward edge. The body includes anoutwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of a portion of thesecond face. A threaded receptacle is formed or affixed to the body. Thethreaded receptacle opens at the first face and opens at an outersurface of the outwardly extending portion. The post is affixed to thefirst face of the body. The post is adapted to receive a buckle of thechin strap.

In the present invention, an attachment wheel has a screw extendingtherefrom. The screw is removably received in the threaded receptacle ofthe body at the outwardly extending portion.

The body has a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edgeextending between the first face and the forward edge of the body andanother radiused edge extending between the first face of the body andthe rearward edge of the body. The post is positioned adjacent to therearward edge of the body. The post has a threaded member extendingtherefrom. The threaded member is received by the threaded receptacle ofthe body. The outwardly extending portion is adjacent to the rearwardedge of the body. The body is formed of a polymeric material. Theoutwardly extending portion is generally square or rectangular.

The threaded member of the snap post has a tool-receiving head facingoutwardly therefrom. The post includes a metallic ring. Thetool-receiving head is positioned centrally of the metallic ring.

The present invention is also an assembly that comprises a helmet havinga recess formed on a surface thereof, a body received in the recess ofthe helmet, and a post affixed to the body. The body has a first faceand a second face in generally parallel relation. The body has a forwardedge and a rearward edge. The body has an outwardly extending portionprojecting outwardly of the portion of the second face. A threadedreceptacle is affixed or formed on or in the body. The threadedreceptacle opens at the first face and opens at the outer surface of theoutwardly extending portion.

The recess of the helmet includes a first recess of a first depth, and asecond recess formed within the first recess and having a second depthextending from a bottom of the first recess. The outwardly extendingportion is received in the second recess. The second face abuts asurface of the first recess. The first surface of the body is flush withthe surface of the helmet. The outwardly extending portion has athickness approximately equal to the second depth of the second recess.

The assembly further includes an attachment wheel having a screwextending therefrom. The screw is removably received in the threadedreceptacle of the body at the outwardly extending portion. The secondrecess has a hole formed therethrough. The screw of the attachment wheelextends into the hole.

The body has a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edgeextending between the first face and the forward edge and anotherradiused edge extending between the first face and the rearward edge.The snap post is positioned adjacent to the rearward edge of the body.The outwardly extending portion is adjacent to the rearward edge of thebody.

The foregoing Section is intended to describe, with particularity, thepreferred embodiments of the present invention. It is understood thatmodifications to these preferred embodiments can be made within thescope of the present claims. As such, the Section should not beconstrued, in any way, as limiting of the broad scope of the presentinvention. The present invention should only be limited by the followingclaims and their legal equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the chin guard assembly of the priorart and, in particular, by the patents of the present inventor.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the adapter of the presentinvention as positioned within a recessed of a helmet.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the chin strap and chin guard as usedwith the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a ring that secures the chin strap to thechin guard.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the fastener used to secure the chin strapto the ring of the chin guard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2, there shown the adapter 30 in accordance with theteachings of the present invention. The adapter 30 includes a body 31having a first face 36 and a second face (not shown) in generallyparallel relation. The body includes a forward edge 33 and a rearwardedge 34. The body also includes side edges 32 and 35. As can be seen,there is a curvature extending between the side edge 32 and the rearwardedge 34. Another curvature extends between the side edge 32 and theforward edge 33. Another curvature extends between the forward edge 33and the side edge 35. Another curvature extends between the side edge 35and the rearward edge 34. These curvatures avoid any sharp corners thatcould result in damaging contact between the adapter 30 and a humanbody.

In FIG. 2, a snap post 45 is affixed to the first face 36 of the body31. The snap post 45 is adapted to receive a snap post buckle attachedthe chin strap thereon. In particular, the snap post 45 includes ametallic ring 37. It can be seen that a tool-receiving head 39 islocated centrally within the ring 37. As will be described hereinafter,the tool-receiving head 39 is associated with a screw that will bereceived within a threaded receptacle in the body 31. The tool-receivinghead 39 securely mounts the snap post 45 to the body 31.

FIG. 3 shows an opposite view of the adapter 30 of the presentinvention. Importantly, it can be seen that there is an outwardlyextending portion 34 is positioned on the second face 41 of the body 31.It can be seen that there is a threaded receptacle 40 affixed to orformed in the body 31. The threaded receptacle 40 will open at the firstface 36 and will also open at the outer surface of the outwardlyextending portion 38. The outwardly extending portion 38 is generallypositioned adjacent to the rearward edge 34 of the body 31. As such, thesnap post 45 will also be positioned generally adjacent to this rearwardedge 34.

FIG. 4 shows the adapter 30 of the present invention as installed withina recess 43 of a helmet 48. It can be seen that the body 31 has thefirst face 36 and the second face 41. The first face 36 is in generallyparallel relationship with the second face 41. The body 31 includes theforward edge 33 and the rearward edge 34. The outwardly extendingportion 38 projects outwardly of a portion of the second face 41. Thebody has the threaded receptacle 40 formed therein. The threadedreceptacle 40 is shown has opening at the first face 36 and at the outersurface of the outwardly extending portion 38.

The snap post 45 is affixed to the first surface 36 of the body 31. Ascan be seen in FIG. 4, the snap post 45 is adapted to receive the snappost buckle 24 of the chin strap 16 thereon. The chin strap 16 is of atype shown in FIG. 1 of the prior art.

An attachment wheel 44 has a screw 46 extending therefrom. The screw 46is removably received in the threaded receptacle 40 of the body 31 atthe outwardly extending portion 38. In particular, the head of theattachment wheel 44 will cause the surface of the football helmet 48 tobe sandwiched between the head of the attachment wheel 44 and theoutwardly extending portion 38 of the body 31. As such, the adapter 30is securely mounted within the recess 43 of the helmet 48.

The body 31 has a generally rectangular configuration. There is aradiused edge extending between the forward edge 33 and the first face36. Another radiused edge extends between the rearward edge 34 and thefirst face 36. These radiused edges prevent any sharp areas of contacton the outer surfaces of the adapter 30. This further works to minimizepotential for injury when the adapter 30 is applied to the footballhelmet 48. The body 31 is formed of a polymeric material. The outwardlyextending portion 38 (as further shown in FIG. 3) has a generally squareor rectangular configuration.

The recess 43 includes a first recessed area 51 and a second recessedarea 53. The first recessed area 51 has a first depth. The secondrecessed area 53 has a second depth extending from the bottom surface ofthe first recess 51. The outwardly extending portion 38 is received inthe second recess. The second face 41 of the body 31 is juxtaposedagainst the bottom surface of the first recess 51. As such, the firstface 36 will be generally flush with the outer surface of the footballhelmet 48. Once again, since the first face 36 of the body 31 is flushwith the outer surface of the football helmet 48, there are no outwardlyprojecting surfaces which could potentially cause injury. Thisflush-mounting further enhances the aesthetic appearance of the adapter30 with respect to the football helmet.

The outwardly extending portion 38 has a thickness approximately equalto the second depth of the second recess 53. A hole through a hole 55exists in the wall of the second recess 53. This hole 53 allows thescrew 46 of the attachment wheel 44 to extend into the threadedreceptacle 40. It can be seen that the threaded receptacle 40 bothreceives the tool-receiving head 39 used to secure the snap post 45 andalso serves to receive the screw 46 of the attachment wheel 44.

The adapter 30 is easily mounted within the recess 43. First, anyappliance that previously existed within the recess 43 is removed. Theadapter 30 is placed within the recess 43 so that the outwardlyextending portion 38 resides in the second recess 53 and such that thebody 31 resides in the first recess 51. The attachment wheel 44 can thenbe positioned on the opposite side of the helmet 48. The screw 46 willextend into the threaded receptacle 40 and rotated until the head of theattachment wheel 44 abuts the surface of the football helmet 44. Thiswill securely mount the body 31 in its proper position within the recess43. After attachment, the snap post buckle 24 can be snapped on to thesnap post 45 such that the chin strap 16 is secured to the footballhelmet 48.

Importantly, in the present invention, the adapter 30 actually positionsthe snap post 45 and the outwardly extending portion 38 in a rearwardposition. As such, the forwardly extending portions of the adapter 30serve to provide further resistance against any torquing effects thatcan be applied to the helmet and/or to the chin strap. When a pullingforce is applied to the snap post 45, the forwardly extending surfacesof the adapter 30 create a cantilever-effect on the adapter 30 so as toresist these forces. Since all of the surfaces of the adapter 30 arerelatively smooth and since the adapter 30 extends generally flush withthe outer surface of the helmet 48, any potential damaging contactbetween sharp edges of the adapter 30 are avoided.

FIG. 5 shows the chin strap and chin guard assembly 50 that can be usedwith the present invention. The assembly 50 preferably contains the cup12 and resilient layer 14 of the traditional chin guard 10. Straps 16and 18 are shown as extending outwardly from the cup. 12. The straps 16and 18 has snap post buckles 24 and 26 affixed thereto for attachment tothe high snap posts which are present on all helmets.

The assembly includes rings 52 and 54 in place of conventional bottomstraps. The rings 52 and 54 can be of any suitable shape, however FIG. 6shows a unique form of the rings used in association with the presentinvention. Straps 56 and 58 extend outwardly from the rings 52 and 54.Preferably, the straps 56 and 58 are easily removable. FIG. 5 shows howthe fastener 59 is present on the straps 56 and 58. The fastener 59 maybe in the form of a Chicago screw or the removable attachment. Rivets orother non-removable attachments may also be used. Traditional buckles 60are attached to the straps 56 and 58. These traditional buckle 60 arefor attachment to snap post hookups. As shown in FIG. 5, the chin guardan strap assembly 50 can be utilized with conventional helmets havingsnap post hookups on both the upper and lower ends.

FIG. 6 illustrates the ring 52 used for securing the strap 56 to the cup12. In particular, the ring 52 is of a generally oval configuration withgenerally straight sides 70 and 72 with curved outer ends 74 and 76. Assuch, the ring 52 will have straight surfaces that are received by thestrap portion extending from the cup 12 and with the strap 56. Thisserves to avoid the curvature associated with conventional D-rings. Itis believed that the straight sides 70 and 72 will minimize wear andtear on the strap portion and strap. These straight sides 70 and 72 alsoserve to properly orient the strap 56 relative to the helmet. Ring 54will have a similar configuration as used with strap 58.

FIG. 7 shows how the strap 56 is secured to the ring 52. In particular,there is a portion 80 that will wrap through the interior of the ring 52and extend so as to lie against the side 82 of strap 56. Typically, thestrap 56 will have holes that are aligned. As such, the Chicago screw 84can be inserted through the holes. The female portion 86 of the Chicagoscrew 84 will extend through the hole so as to open at the opposite sideof the portion 80. The male portion 88 of the Chicago screw 84 can bethreadedly received within the female portion 86 and then rotated untilthe respective heads 90 and 92 will be strongly abutting the outersurfaces of the strap 56. As a result, the portion 80 will be fixedlyand removably secured to the surface 82 of the strap 56.

The configuration of FIG. 6 allows the strap 56 to be removable from thering 52. It is only necessary to unscrew the male portion 88 from thefemale portion 86 of the Chicago screw 84. The portion 80 of the strap56 can then slide outwardly of the interior of the ring 52. Thisconfiguration is important with certain types of helmets. Often, it isdesirable to join the strap 56 to the interior strap configuration of aXENITH™ helmet. As such, the interior strap configuration of the XENITH™helmet can be connected to the cup for the 12. Also, if there are otherunique helmet configurations with different strapping mechanisms, thering 52 is adapted so as to uniquely receive such straps.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention isillustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details ofthe illustrated construction can be made within the scope of the presentinvention without departing from the true spirit of the invention. Thepresent invention should only be limited by the following claims andtheir legal equivalents.

I claim:
 1. An adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet, theadapter comprising: a body having a first face and a second face ingenerally parallel relation, said body having a forward edge and arearward edge, said body having an outwardly extending portionprojecting outwardly of a portion of said second face, said body havinga threaded receptacle affixed or formed therein, said threadedreceptacle opening at said first face and opening at an outer surface ofsaid outwardly extending portion; and a post affixed to said first faceof said body, said post adapted to receive a buckle of the chin strapthereon.
 2. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising: an attachmentdevice having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being removablyreceived in said threaded receptacle of said body at said outwardlyextending portion.
 3. The adapter of claim 1, said body having agenerally rectangular configuration with a radiused edge extendingbetween said first face and said forward edge and another radiused edgeextending between said first face and said rearward edge.
 4. The adapterof claim 1, said post positioned adjacent to said rearward edge of saidbody.
 5. The adapter claim 1, said post having a threaded memberextending therefrom, said threaded member being received by saidthreaded receptacle of said body.
 6. The adapter of claim 1, saidoutwardly extending portion being adjacent to said rearward edge of saidbody.
 7. The adapter claim 1, said body being formed of a polymericmaterial.
 8. The adapter claim 1, said outwardly extending portionhaving a generally square or rectangular configuration.
 9. The adapterclaim 5, said threaded member of said post having a tool-receiving headfacing outwardly therefrom, said post having a metallic ring thereon,said tool-receiving head positioned centrally of said metallic ring. 10.An assembly comprising: a helmet having a recess formed thereon; a bodyhaving a first face and a second face and face in generally parallelrelation, said body having a forward edge and a rearward edge, said bodyhaving an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of a portionof said second pace, said body having a threaded receptacle affixed orformed therein, said threaded receptacle opening at said first face andopening at an outer surface of said outwardly extending portion, saidbody being received in said recess of said helmet; and a post affixed tosaid first face of said body.
 11. The assembly of claim 10, said recesscomprising: a first recess having a first depth; and a second recessformed within said first recess and having a second depth extending froma bottom of said first recess.
 12. The assembly of claim 10, saidoutwardly extending portion received in said second recess, said secondface abutting a surface of said first recess.
 13. The assembly of claim10, said first face of said body being flush with said surface of saidhelmet.
 14. The assembly claim 11, said outwardly extending portionhaving a thickness approximately equal to the second depth of saidsecond recess.
 15. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising: anattachment device having a screw extending therefrom, said screw beingremovably received in said threaded receptacle of said body at saidoutwardly extending portion, said second recess having a hole formedtherethrough, said screw of said attachment wheel extending through saidhole.
 16. The assembly of claim 10, said body having a generallyrectangular configuration with a radiused edge extending between saidfirst face and said forward edge and another radiused edge extendingbetween said first face and said rearward edge.
 17. The assembly ofclaim 10, said post positioned adjacent to said rearward edge of saidbody, said outwardly extending portion being adjacent to said rearwardedge of said body.
 18. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising: achin strap having a buckle thereon, said buckle being releasablyreceived by said post.
 19. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising:a chin guard connected to said chin strap at a location away from saidpost buckle.
 20. The assembly of claim 19, said chin guard having a ringmounted thereto, said chin strap having a looped portion received bysaid ring.